Connected life

How a Volvo XC90 helps one entrepreneur stay ahead of the opposition thanks to its advanced connectivity.

After travelling the world for 12 years, Cologne-born entrepreneur Gundula Cöllen decided it was time to return to Germany and reconnect with her homeland. It was a sense of freedom and cosmopolitan spirit that drew her to another German city – Berlin – to launch her new business venture, the boutique fitness studio Becycle.

To make the most of life in a large city like Berlin, you need to stay connected – not just with work and friends, but with what’s going on around you. And Gundula believes a car can play a key role in helping her keep control of her busy lifestyle.

“Berlin is so big and my days are so hectic just now,” she says. “Before I start my day I try to organise my calendar, and I always have a to-do list up and running – but I need a little help. So, I use a lot of apps on my phone. Basically, I need to be connected, otherwise it’s hard to organise my life.”

A key function that can help Gundula keep track of her busy schedule is ‘Send to Car’. With meetings spread out all over the city, ‘Send to Car’ allows Gundula to send destinations directly to the XC90’s Sensus navigation system from the browser in a computer or via the Volvo On Call app on her smartphone.

This means the most effective route to her next meeting is already waiting for her when she activates the navigation system. And because Sensus is connected to the Internet, the route is updated continually with the latest live traffic and weather news.

Being so reliant on her smartphone, the XC90’s Apple CarPlayTM feature also helps make Gundula’s everyday life simpler. It takes selected functions from the iPhone and makes them conveniently available via the car’s central driver display. It also allows her to exchange important messages with her business partner.

“It’s great to have a large screen in the car that allows you to access certain apps and information you have on your phone. I find when you’re driving, you don’t want to get into any unsafe situations where you’re constantly taking your eyes off the road to look at your mobile.”

Everything in Gundula’s world happens quickly, and things can change in an instant. This is where a state-of-the-art guidance system like Sensus navigation and features such as ‘Send to Car’ can help Gundula stay one-step-ahead.

Share

I Roll

Volvo is Latin for 'I roll' and was originally trademarked in 1915 with ball bearing production in mind. But 18 million cars later, Volvo has come to mean much more.

Volvo started making cars in 1927 because we believed nobody else was making them strong enough or safe enough for Swedish roads. Along the way we’ve come up with dozens of innovations, some of which have changed the world. And it’s this proud history that continues our drive forward to the next great Volvo Cars idea.